Posts Tagged ‘Houston Toad’

Jun
18

It’s Time to have a TOADally Awesome Fathers Day!

Posted by in Amphibians,Animal Info,Events

Just say NO to tacky ties!

Fathers Day is creeping up, and now that you’ve learned some about the Dads residing at the Houston Zoo, it’s time to finally pin down the perfect plan for that special dad in your life. As always, we are looking out for you and know not only the perfect gift, but the perfect way to celebrate too.

You’ve probably gotten dad a striped tie or two, some tools and lawn equipment (how fun for him!) and a lunch at The Olive Garden, but this year you need to break out of the box and get creative. The answer? Name a Houston Toad after him!

Houston Toads are a critically endangered species that, once native to Houston, now reside only in a small portion of Texas west of our city. The Houston Zoo’s conservation department has developed a Houston Toad program with hopes to increase their dwindling population and boost their likelihood of survival in the wild.

When you name a toad after dad, you’re helping support our Houston Toads, plus you’re giving one of the lucky toads a really cool name. Click here for more on the Houston Toad and the Name-A-Toad program.

Now that you’ve got the gift down, we have the perfect way to spend Fathers Day – our TOAD-ally Awesome Fathers Day event taking place on Sunday, June 19 from 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. at the Reflection Pool. You’ll have a chance to introduce dad to one of those special Houston Toads, and you can partake in some TOADally awesome crafts and activities – all FREE with your Zoo admission!

The Houston Toad - Some names we've gotten so far include Sticky, Lord Mittens, Mongo and Mr.Chuckluck!

Can’t get enough toads in your life? Join us for special Toad Tracker Wild Winks taking place June 30, July 21 and August 13. These are one-of-a-kind overnight experiences where you will get to track toads on the Houston Zoo grounds at night. It could even be a good bonding experience with dad! :)  Click here for more details.

Toad trackers measuring a Houston Zoo inhabitant

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Jan
12

Give the Gift of Crickets to Houston Toads

Posted by in Amphibians,Endangered,Feeding Our Animals

Proud Texans want to preserve our natural heritage, and the Houston toad is a part of that heritage.

Thank you All for your donations so far to our Gift of Grub Campaign. The year is over but you can still contribute if you had been wanting to  but the holidays kept you busy. Help us to feed our 6,000 animals and priovide everything they need to be healthy and happy in the coming year by clicking www.houstonzoo.org/gift-of-grub or our CONTRIBUTE tab on Facebook!

 

AN ENDANGERED TOAD OF TEXAS NEEDS OUR HELP!

Did you know the Houston toad has not been seen in Houston since the 1960’s? It was the first amphibian ever placed on the Endangered Species List and is still considered one of the most endangered in North America. Although it once hopped in the Hous­ton area, rapid growth of the city resulting in habitat loss caused their disappearance in this area. Today, only a few hundred remain in the wild, and only in a handful of rural counties in the sandy soils of east central Texas.

A Houston toad in hand is worth.... lots!

Why should we care about the Houston Toad?
Toads and other amphibians control the insect population and are indicators of the health of our environment. The Houston toad is the only “endemic” toad in Texas. This means this species can be found in Texas and nowhere else on the planet. If they disappear from Texas, they are gone forever. Proud Texans want to preserve our natural heritage, and the Houston toad is a part of that heritage.

 What the Houston Zoo is doing to help Houston Toads
Did you know that at any given time, we care for thousands of Houston toads behind the scenes at the Zoo? At the moment, our Amphibian Conservation Programs Manager, Paul Crump, the Herpetology staff, and our dedicated Houston Toad Keeper are diligently caring for 4,000 endangered toads! When Houston toad eggs are found in the wild, they are carefully transported to our quarantine facility. The tadpoles will eventually emerge from the eggs and go through metamorphosis in a safe environment without threat from predators. In the wild only 2 out of every 1,000 toads will make it to adulthood. They are a vital part of the food web and are food for many other animals. Adult toads are then released back to the ponds they came from with hopes they will now be able to survive and reproduce. This type of conservation strategy has been proven effective in other endangered species recovery efforts. Because they are endangered, we are giving them a “head start” by helping them through this vulnerable part of their existence. A head start means a “favorable or promising beginning”.

What you can do to help Houston Toads
Help us to feed them by donating to our Gift of Grub campaign!

A Bug-Munching Mania
At the Zoo, the tadpoles feed on algae, sweet potatoes and leafy greens until they pop out their legs, develop lungs and emerge from their aquatic environment. Then dinner then switches to crickets – lots and lots of crickets! During the height of our Houston toad capacity in the spring our little toads will go through 1 million crickets per week! And let me tell you,  if you are looking to start a profitable new business, you should look into cricket breeding! Crickets are super-dooper expensive!

We are currently attempting to set up our own cricket colony at the Zoo and plan to add Mung beetles to the Houston toad menu as well.

Variety is the spice of life, even for a toad!

Learn more about Houston toads and how we are helping to preserve Texas wildlife at http://www.houstonzoo.org/HoustonToad/.  You can also pick up the November 2011 Texas Parks and Wildlife Magazine to read all about the recovery of the Houston toad in Texas.

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Jul
12

Meet the Staff: Phyllis Pietrucha-Mays

Posted by in Behind the Scenes,Commissary,Featured,Keepers,Meet the Staff

Hometown: Chicago, Illinois
Section: Commissary- Commissary Supervisor
Quote: “It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent that survives. It is the one that is most adaptable to change.”-Charles Darwin. 
Special Interests/ Hobbies:
Anything outside. I like being active, working out and hiking around our property looking for herps. 
Interesting Facts:
In the 1980’s I had a job where I’d dress up in costume and go to grocery stores to hand out free samples.  I’ve dressed up as a lobster, Mr. Keebler, Twinkie the Kid and the Cookie Monster.  I even dressed as a Gorilla once for Zoo Ball.  

Favorite Animal:
Turtles and tortoises, I have about 30 at my house.  One of my favorites was named Tank, a Sulcata tortoise.  Someone had found him at the Galena Park dump and we brought him home.     

How long have you worked at the Houston Zoo?
I have been here 26 years!  I worked as a docent volunteer before I became a keeper.  When I was hired on, I worked in animal departments for 5 years including the Reptile building, Hoofstock, Primates and the Small Mammal building (now Natural Encounters).  I worked on the Houston Toad Project when it was first established in the early 1980’s.  I have now worked in the commissary 21 years.    

Phyllis loads grain in one of the zoo's expansive walk in freezers.

What made you want to become a zookeeper?
As a child I had an interest in anything having to do with animals and I was always picking up strays.  After working as a keeper for awhile, I moved on to the commissary and really got to see the business side of the zoo.   

How would you describe your job duties?
I am in charge of the staff that prepares food for the animals.  I order food for all the animals from our vendors and also have to drive to various places to pick up special food items.  I also manage the diet changes for the animals to make sure we have enough food in stock.   

What is a typical day like working in the commissary?
Each day is different.  The animals eat different things every day, so the diet preparation changes every day.       

What is your education, training, and previous institution(s) you attended before coming to the Houston Zoo?
I have a 2 year certification from Houston Community College’s Veterinary Technician program.      

What sort of advice would you give to anyone wanting to enter the zoo field?
Start as a volunteer, even as a teenager.  I have hired a lot of former volunteers.      

What is your favorite animal story?
When the zoo used to have koalas our supplier for eucalyptus was in Phoenix, Arizona.  Usually the eucalyptus was flown to the zoo.  Soon after September 11, 2001 all flights were grounded, but the koalas needed their eucalyptus! Our supplier was kind enough to meet us halfway, so I drove to El Paso, TX to pick it up! That was the longest drive I have had to take  to pick up food for our animals.      

To learn more about volunteering at the Houston Zoo visit http://www.houstonzoo.org/volunteer/!
There are numerous career paths to choose from at the Houston Zoo!  To learn more about non-keeper careers, visit Leigh’s blog or the Houston Zoo’s Career page!    

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